Baycrest

Celinda and Claudio are great. It’s a full-service building, with an on-site Security Officer and Doorman 24/7. There’s a pool, jacuzzi, assigned covered parking on site, a gym, two gardens with BBQ, a sauna, a racquetball court, and bike storage. Nice neighborhood too.

I’ve lived in this building for five years. The location is a big plus: Embarcadero, Ferry Building, FiDi, BART, Muni, Caltrain, Oracle Park, Chase Center, and Union Square are all easy to reach. There are also plenty of good restaurants and several grocery stores within walking distance. The building has a 24/7 front desk attendant, gated parking, and uses LuxorOne for package deliveries. The building is over 30 years old and seems to be falling apart. There’s some water leak somewhere every other day, with flooding in places like the garage, gym, and hallways. The cardio room is decent, but it’s currently closed because of water leakage. The small weights room has old but functional equipment, and feels crowded with more than two people working out. Most units are tiny, though that’s what you’d expect in San Francisco. The pool and hot tub have been impossible to use for over three years because of pandemic restrictions and then maintenance issues. The plumbing is ancient and the water gets shut off one or two times a month. The shutdowns are supposed to run from 9 to 5, but often continue into the evening. That might not matter if you go to the office; it’s a pain when working from home without water. Most owners rent out their units, so the HOA doesn’t seem very motivated to improve residents’ lives. I’ve watched living conditions steadily decline over the last five years.

Two neighbors moved out because of drilling noise from an adjacent apartment. As of April 2020, those apartments had been vacant for over five months. The deeply disturbing noise started in May 2019, and for more than ten months management couldn’t resolve it or stop the neighbor responsible. I’d lived at Baycrest since May 2016, and my first three years there were perfectly fine. September 2020 update: I moved out at the beginning of August 2020 because the nuisance continued. After more than a year and two months of complaints from multiple residents, and after people in four nearby apartments had moved out because of it, management finally filed a lawsuit against the neighbor responsible. The lawsuit is publicly available on the SF Superior Court’s website under case number CGC20585743.

The jacuzzi was so hot I wouldn't recommend getting in. Noise was a problem too, whether the room faced the Bay Bridge or Harrison Street. Harleys and trucks go roaring up the street.